Fluid-displacement pump



J1me 1930- E. F. M cART Y 1,767,541

FLUID DISPLACEMENT PUIIP Filed April 9, 192B Patented June. 24, 1930 UNITED STATES time: S

EDWARD F. MCCARTHY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOiS,;ASSIG1 IOB 'IO'CI-IICAGO PUMP. COM- PANY, on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS FLUID-DISPLACEMENT PUIVE]? Application filerl Ap -il 9, 1928. Serial No. 268,699.

, This invention relates to fluid'displacement pumps in which a liquid is caused to be moved through a plurality of tanks, filling.

them and emptying them at predetermined intervals and thereby displacing theair or gases entering the apparatus. Theprincipal object of the invention is to provide a fluid displacement device which may be usedtoproduce partial vacuum or pressure.

Another object is to handle either gaseous or liquid fluids'and-to elfect a separation of the fluids and to expel the gases and liquids from the apparatus through separate dis chargeoutlets. Another object is to utilize, the discharge of liquids from superimposed tanks to create vacuum therein into which space air or'other gas is forced by liquid entering the tank and fllling the space therein, whereby the gaseous and liquid fluids may be moved through the apparatus and the liquid pumped back into a boiler orjother receptacle free from the gaseous fluid. This device combined with a steam heating system provides anideal method of purging the i system of air, gases and water and returning the water freed from the air and gases to the boiler, if desired.

The invention consists, therefore, in a fluid uppermost one is provided 'whercbythe operation of the apparatus is made continuous.

It further consists in the several novel :7

features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully set forth and claimed. V

The lnvention is clearly set forth in the accompanying drawing in whicha Ifigure 1 a vertical longitudinal section through a fluid displacement pump embody ing a simpleforinofjthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan thereof; 1 s F g, 3 is a detailed end View of'certa'in valve'actuating mechanism; and I Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Fig. '1,

Referring to the drawing which illus trates one embodiment of invention,"the reference. character 1 designates a bottom tank, 2 an intermediate tank and 3 an upper tank through which liquid is moved from the upper tank through the intermediate one tothe bottom tank at predetermined intervals-,-thereby, displacing gas or. air containediin said tanks, andcreating a vacuum orpressure. As a preference, the intermediate tank is larger than the upper and bottom tank, and, if desired, the lower-tank I may be larger than the uppertank 3, the tanks being so proportioned that, the circulating liquid will substantially fill the various tanks at predetermined intervals and provide a constant flow of liquid through a water pump t, which is used for elevating the liquid from the bottom tank to the upper one. I

The inlet of the pump 4; is connected to the bottom tank 1 by an inlet pipe '5, and its discharge end is connected to the upper tank by a discharge pipe 5*. The bottom tank is provided with an inlet opening 6 which is controlled by an inwardly opening check valve 14 which permits fluids to enter the bottom tank through the inlet opening '6, butprevents the, escape of fluids from the tank through said opening. i

, Between the tanks 1 and 2 is a port 10 controlled by'a valve 1 0,through which port liquid discharges from the intermediate tank 2 into the bottom tank 1 at predetermined intervals, and between the upper tank 3 and intermediate tank 2 is a port 11 controlled by the valve 11, through which port liquid is discharged from the upper tank 3 into the intermediate tank at intervals. The opening and closing of the valves 10 and 11 is so timed that when one of the valves is opened, the other is closed.

The valves 10 and 11 are operated by mechanism, here shown as comprising float mechanism 9 contained in the intermediate tank 2, and having a lost motion mechanism whereby the intermediate tank 2 is caused to be filled and emptied of liquid at inter vals. The float mechanism, as shown, comprises a ball float 19 mounted upon a forked arm 20 fulcrumed upon a shaft 21, and weighted arms 9 are also fulcrumed on the shaft 21. The arms 9 have pins 9 on their ends which enter slots in the forks of the arms 20 and are arranged to be engaged by the ends of said slots. Adjustment screws are secured in the arms 20 at the ends of the slots and afford means for regulating the effective ends thereof.

The valves 10 and 11 are connected by a rod 22 which has a lost motion connection with the float mechanism, which, as shown, comprises pins 23 on the rod 22 and enteringslots in the weighted arms 9. Itwill be observed that the ball float 19 has a wide range of movement and only opens: and closes the valves 10 and 11 at the limits: of its strokes. The valves 10 and 11 are of sufficient size to permit the liquid to discharge from one tank into another more rapidly than it can be handled by the pump 4. Between the tanks are gas ports 15 and 16 controlled by upwardly opening check valves 15 and 16. The check valves remain sea-ted until forced open by the pressure in a lower tank when it exceeds that in the tank above the valve.

In the upper tank 3 is a liquid discharge port 8 and a gas discharge'port 7 con trolled by float operated valves 8 and 7. As shown, the valves 8 and 7 are connected to a float lever 13 pivotally supported from one wall of the tank and having a ball float 17 upon its free end. The valves 8 and 7 are so arranged that when one closes the other opens and vice versa. When the ball float rises to a high place, it opens the valve 8 and permits surplus liquid to be discharged from the tank 3, and when the ball float occupies a low position, it opens the valve 7, thereby permitting the gas to 'escape from the tank 3 when the tank fills with liquid. I

The apparatus may be used for creating a vacuum or for building up pressure. It may be employed as a' vacuum pump for steam heating systems, in which case the inlet 6 is connected to the return pipe of the system and the discharge 8 is connected to the boiler, or some other receptacle into which it is desired to discharge the liquid.

In the operation of the apparatus, the intermediate tank is filled with liquid and e when the ball float 19 rises to its upper limit, it closes the valve 11 and opens the valve 10, thereby permitting the liquid in the intermediate tank 2 to discharge into the lower tank 1 and causing a partial vacuum in r discharges liquid from the lower tank 1 into 7 the upper tank 3, but not as rapidly as the lower tank is being filled.

When the intermediate tank 2 is emptied, the float mechanism closes the valve 10 and opens the valve 11, thereby permitting the liquid in the tank 3 to discharge into the intermediate tank. lVith the valve 10 and the check valve 15 closed, and the pump T C continuing to discharge the liquid from the .lower tank into the upper one, a partial vacuum is created in the lower tank and fluids enter said tank through the inlet 6. As the liquid from the upper tank 3 discharges into the intermediate tank 2 and fills the latter, the gases in the intermediatetank are being forced through the check valve 16 into the upper tank '3 and escape through the gas outlet 7" as the 'liquidcom ing from the tank 1 through the pump 4 fills the upper tank 3. Y

In the event any surplus liquid enters the lower tank 1 through the inlet 6, it may cause the upper tank to become filled before the intermediate tank 2 is emptied, thereby causing the ball float 17 in the upper tank to rise and close the valve 7 and open thevalve 8, and thereby permitting the surplus liquid to bedisclia-rged from the upper tank-3 through said valve 8. VVhenever the remaining liquidin the upper tank is discharged into the intermediate tank, the ball float 17 closes the valve 8 and opens the valve- 7, thereby "permitting any gasesentering the upper tank 8' to escape. As i the liquid fills the intermediate tank 2, the float valve 19 is raised, the valve 11 closedand the valve 10opened, thereby permitting the liquid to discharge from the intermediate tank into the lower one and repeating the operation above described, which is carried on continuously during the operation of the apparatus.

I claim as new, and Letters Patent:

1. A fluid displacement pump comprising in combination a plurality of superimposed tanks intermittently filled with liquid which is discharged from one tank into the other by gravity, whereby gas contained in a lowdesire to secure by Ill) e1: tank is discharged therefrom and admitted nto a higher one, there being anrmlet to the lower-tank. and 'adischarge. from the upper tank, a float valve controlledport between upper and lowertank through wh ch the liquid d scharges, at; predeten;

mined intervals from a highertank into a lower one by gravity, a valvecontrolled gas port through which gas is admitted at predetermined intervals from a lower tank to a higher tank when expelledfroma lower one by liquidentering the lower tank, and pumping means having its inlet connected to the lower tank and its discharge connected to the higher tank for elevating the liquid from the lower oneinto the higher one.

2. A fluid displacement pump comprising in combination a plurality of liquid and gas receiving tanks disposed at different elevations, the lowest tank having an inlet and the highest one having a discharge outlet,

float valve controlled means betweensaid tanks responsive to variations of the level of the liquid in one of the tanks for discharging at predetermined intervals the liquid contained in a higher tank into a lower one by gravity, whereby a partial vacuum is produced in a higher tank, valve controlled means whereby gas contained'in a lower tank is admitted to a highertanlr when displaced bythe liquid entering the lower tank from the highertank, and pumping means for elevating liquid from the lower tank to the higher one and having its inlet connected to the lower tank and its discharge connected to'the higher one.

3. A fluld displacement pump comprising in combination a plurality of liquid and gas 7 receiving tanks disposed at different elevations, the lowest tank having'an inlet and the highest one a discharge outlet, float valve controlled means responsive to variations of the level of the liquid in one of the tanks for discharging liquid contained in a higher tank into a lower one by gravity,

,whereby a partial vacuum isproducedin a higher tank and gas contained in a lower tank is displaced from said lower tank, there being a valve controlled gas port between thehigher and lower tanks through which the gas is expelled from a lower tank into an upper one, and pumping means for elevating liquid from alower tank into a higher one, and having its inlet connected to said lower tank and its discharge connected to the higher tank.

4. A fluid displacement pump comprising in combination a plurality of liquid and gas receiving tanks disposed at different elevations, the lowest tank having a valve controlled inlet and the highest one having a valve controlled discharge outlet, float valve mechanism between said tanks responsive to variations of the level of the liquid in one of the tanks for discharging at predetermined I higher one.

intervals the liquid contained in a higher tank into a lower one by gravity, whereby a partial vacuumis produced in a higher tank,

valve controlled means whereby gas con tained in a lower tank is admitted to higher tank when displaced by the liquid entering the lower tankjfrom the higher tank, and pumping. meansflfor elevating liquid "from the lower tank to the higher, one

' and having its inlet connected to the lower tank'and, its discharge connected to the level'of the liquid in one of the tanks for discharging at predetermined intervals the liquid contained. in a higher. tank into a lower one by gravity, whereby a partial vacuum produced in aliigher tank, valve controlled means whereby gascontained in a lower tank is admitted to a higher tank when displaced by the liquid entering the lower tank from the higher tank, and pumping means for elevating liquid from the lower tank to the'higher one and having its:

inlet connected to the lower tank and its discharge connected to the higher one.

I 6. A fluid displacement pum'pcomprising in combination a plurality of liquid and gas receiving-tanks l disposed at different elevations, the lowest tank having an inlet and the highest one having a discharge'outlet, float valve nechanism between said tanks responsive tovariations of the level of the liquid in one of the tanks "for discharging at predetermined intervals the liquid contained in a higher tank into a lower one by gravity, whereby a partial vacuumlis produced in a higher tank, valvev controlled, means whereby gas contained in a lower tank, is. admitted to a higher-tank when displacedby the liquid entering the lower tank from the higher tank, and pumping means for elevating liquid from the lower tankto the higher one and having its inlet connected the to the lowerfltank and its discharge con--- ne'ct'ed' to the higher one.

fluid displacement pump comprising in combination a plurality of'liqui'd and gas receiving "tanks disposed atdifierent eleva tions, the lowest tank, having an inlet and the highest onehaving a dischargeoutlet,

"float valve mechanism between said tanks havinga lost motion connection between the valve and, its float, said float valve controlled meansbeing respon siv e'to variations of the level of the liquid in onerof the tanks for discharging at predetermined intervals the liquid Contained in a higher tank into a lower one by gravity, whereby a partial vacuum is produced in a higher tank, valve controlled means whereby gas contained in a lower tank is admitted to a higher tank when displaced by the liquid entering the lower tank'from the higher tank, andpumping means for elevating liquid from the lower tank to the higher one and having its inlet connected to the lower tank and its discharge connected to the higher one.

8. A fluid displacement pump comprising in combination a lower tank, an intermediate tank and an upper tank, the lower tank having a valve controlled inlet and the upper one having float controlled gas and liquid ports, one of which is closed while the other is opened and vice versa, valve controlled liquid ports between the several tanks responsive to variations of the level of the liquid in one of the tanks, the valve of one of said valve controlled ports being opened while the other is closed and vice versa, and valve controlled gas ports between the several tanks whereby when a liquid port is opened liquid is discharged from the higher tank into a lower tank and gas is admitted into a higher tank from a lower one, and pumpingmeans having its inlet connected to the lower tank and its discharge connected to the upper tank and operating to pump liquid from the lower tank into the upper one. r

9. A fluid. displacement pump comprising in combination a lower tank, an inter-' mediate tank and an upper tank, the lower tank having a valve controlled inlet and the upper one having a valve controlled port, float valve controlled liquid ports between the several tanks responsive to variations of the level of the liquidin the intermediate tank, the valve of one of said valve controlled ports being opened while the other is closed and vice versa, and valve controlled gas ports between the several tanks whereby when a liquid port is opened liquid is discharged from the higher tank into a lower tank and gas is admitted into a higher tank from a lower one, and pumping means having its inlet connected to the lower tank and its discharge connected to the upper tank and operating to pump liquid from the lower tank into theupper one.

10. A fluid displacement pump comprising in combination a lower tank, an intermediate tank. and an upper tank, thelower tank having a valve controlled inlet and the upper one having a float valve controlled gas port and a float valve controlled liquid port, the one being open while the other is closed and vice versa, float valve controlled liquid ports'between the several tanks responsive to variations of the level of the liquid in the intermediate tank, the valve upper one. v

EDVARD F. MCCARTHY. 

